English is a really funny language. We all know the old joke that goes like this – If ‘to’ is pronounced as ‘too’ and ‘do’ is pronounced as ‘doo’ then why, in this matter, is ‘go’ an exception? And what is with the funky spelling rules of this language – ‘I’ before ‘e’ unless you leisurely deceive eight overweight heirs to forfeited their sovereign conceits. That is some confounding spell-work right there. Do you remember that whole ‘colors’ vs ‘colours’ confusion that was created in ours early brushes with Windows and the Internet. Don’t even get me started on the complex rules of punctuation and grammar. Have you ever heard of stress disorders being prevalent among Cave people? No? That is because they used to communicate in grunts and gestures only.
The traps are many. And it is not like we don’t have a gazillion other options in our country when it comes to spoken and written languages. Why, then, do you need to be proficient in this language? Because, (oxford comma for big pauses)
- Tedha hai par mera hain (It maybe twisted but it is what we have)
Although English is not a language native to India and was brought to the country by the British colonizers, it has seeped deeply into the psyche of the Indian society. So far so that, even after 72 years of Independence from the British, English has remained as one of the official languages in India. We have really taken to this language and how!
According to the figures published in 2016 by EF Education First, a Swedish International Education Company that specializes in language training, India holds the 22nd rank out of 72 in EF English Proficiency Index. According to the Constitution of India, the operational language of the Supreme Court and all the High Courts is English. Let’s leave aside the Swedes and the Courts for a minute and do a simple exercise. Close your eyes. Take a deep breathe. Think of top three things that you may have done during the day so far. What was the language of those thoughts? How many of those words were in English?
- Des Pardes – a must for Higher Education and Campus Placement.
So, now we know that there is no running away from English. If this language is your enemy, it is time to make it your best friend. This friend will open up a lot of doors for you. If you put in the efforts
to become proficient in speaking, reading and writing English, you will have a smooth passage through campus placements, the various MBA entrance exams conducted for colleges in both India and abroad, and banking sector and government exams. The reason is that, among other skills, all these exams test your English proficiency skills through Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension test. You need a good score in exams like TOEFL and IELTS to secure an admission in most of Universities outside India. These exams test your skills in speaking and understanding English through reading and listening comprehension. Knowing this one language really well helps you maximize your options in higher education not only in India but across the globe.
Yes, while moving about in the circles of industry bigwigs and IIM graduates, you need to have a good grasp on English. It surely makes you sound smarter. But it also makes you become smarter. Learning more than one language increases your creativity, improves your analytical ability and studies say, that it even reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia in later life.
- Better communication skills
That was for a better life later. Let’s talk about the life that you are aiming for, for now. Good communication skill is not just a bullet point in your resume. It is a basic tool of human existence. Sound communication skills come in handy professionally as well as personally. For that you need good English proficiency. This is not to say that the communication skills of a native language speaker are not at par with those of an English-speaking individual. But getting into a good Business Management Programme or bagging a good placement or any other achievement in the field of Higher education puts you amongst people who are very good at this language. And you need to be at par in English proficiency to even begin to stand your ground among these people. English proficiency is must for good communication skills.
- It is beautiful and fun to learn.
“A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
and twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
along the margin of a bay”
These are a few verses from Daffodils. A poem by William Wordsworth. Don’t tell me that you didn’t feel even a little ‘warmth and sunshine’ after reading these verses. If not for profit, learn it for the sheer joy of it.
The works of many great people- thinkers, philosophers, innovators and leaders are written in English. To learn from their books or videos will not be a drag if you are proficient in the language they write or speak in, which is mostly English. A whole new world of learning opportunities will open up for you if and only if you are proficient in English.
